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Ducabike Rearsets Installed 1200S

39K views 73 replies 26 participants last post by  Matt Dennis 
#1 ·
Got tired of this...





So I got these installed...







Now there is more of this...

 
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7
#8 ·
Perfect timing for this thread! Mine just arrived yesterday and I was planning to tackle the install myself this weekend.... But if there is a special Ducati lock-nut involved and maybe some rear brake bleeding, it might be best to have the shop do it. I think that's what I'll do. Has anyone here done the install themselves? Is it even possible, haha?

Also, what position is everybody setting them at? I'm thinking most up and rear for a first try. I scraped my shift lever a couple of times and I think raising it all 1-2 cm will solve that. I plan to start tracking this bike too, so putting my feet more sporty is where I want to go for now. I'm going to measure the height of my stock position (lever to ground) and then the Ducabike's once installed, for comparison. I'll probably eye-ball the horizontal shift, unless there is a good datum to measure that from. I also plan to weigh the new and stock parts, for comparison. I think this mod has to drop at least 5 lbs. We'll see.

I hand-loose assembled the sets last night and they do look pretty awesome!
 
#9 ·
The only special tool is a couple large hex sockets, the largest of which comes with the rear sets. Shifter side is easy, brake side does require bleeding. The trick to that is removing the rear wheel, remove the caliper and put it on top of the rotor so that the bleeder is on the top. After that, bleeding the system is straight forward. Video shows it pretty well. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2sxjwb The whole thing takes a couple hours.
 
#11 ·
I did my first track day at Buttonwillow last Friday on the 1200S with the new rear sets. Overall opinion is that the bike is completely track-able if you have the rear sets. There is no way I could have ridden the way I did without them. My average lap times were around 2:15ish with configuration #13 CW (if you are familiar with Buttonwillow) and after reviewing GoPro footage, there were areas I could definitely shave a few more seconds. This time is about middle of the pack for "B" group even though I rode "C" group. For reference, "A" group runs about 2 minute-ish lap times. Next time out I am going to raise the pegs a little higher to the 12 o'clock position vice the 9 o'clock position I used. I was scraping the left peg going through Cotton Corners

On another note, a Monster stands out when everything else is an inline 4. Got lots of looks!
 
#15 ·
Dude sweet vid!! That track surface looks... sketchy lol.

Ive never been there personally. Several other tracks in my past on Kawi's though. I really want to take the 1200 to a track day. Based on my back road runs (we have a few twisties around here) I feel confident the 1200 is a capable machine. It's seriously planted in hard cornering. Like I can take my left hand off planted. My only hesitation is "what will she do" when traction is being lost. In other words, how forgiving is the chassis? I took a hypermotard (08' 1100) to a track day back when I went every month. It was fun, but a hand full.
 
#14 ·
My DucaBike rearsets install, the full report

I did this myself and yes, it was kind of a pain in the ass. The YouTube video helped a lot. The kit supplies the large inverse hex socket for taking off the OEM mounts. You need a 12 mm hex bit as well, to take off the lock-nut inserts on the lower bolts. But if you have a T-60 Torx bit (for adjusting the chain tension) this will also work perfectly. Also, you will need to buy a longer M8 bolt to mount Termis. It's not a perfect fitment. And since you have to open the rear brake circuit, it will have to be bled. It took me an hour to figure out how to do this correctly but it's not too hard actually. I spent probably 5 total hours on all of this. It wasn't super hard, but not super easy either.

Before I put them on, I measured the OEM positions of my shift lever and peg, from the ground to the top-center outside-edge of these, with the bike on the side stand and wheel turned left. I also went down to the dealer and measured a few other bikes for comparison.

BIKE Left peg shift lever
M1200S 11.5" 9.25" (stock is actually 9.5", but I lowered mine a bit for stronger upshifts)
M1200R 12.5" 10.5"
P1299S 13.75" ---
RSV4 14" ---

I plan to start tracking the bike this summer and wanted more lean angle (I scraped my shift lever a few times in the canyons), so I installed these at the highest rearmost position. Turns out the range is about +1" above stock to -2" below stock. My final position was 12.5" and 10.25" (again, lowered just a tad to get stronger upshifts). This moves my M1200S to roughly the same position of the M1200R, at least relative to the ground (seat heights are different).

I haven't bombed any canyons yet, but on my first test ride, the foot and leg positions are noticeably more sporty. Knees are bent more, feet are kept higher and tighter to the bike, and everything feels more compact. Most noticeable are the pegs---they are sharp and grippy! Your feet are very planted on these. I also weighed the old and new parts and the weight savings was only 3.2 lbs. A little disappointing, but mostly it was good to get rid of the rear-end clutter and heel obstructions. The bike looks much cleaner now.

A couple of negatives are these: The pegs and carbon-fiber heel plates are sharp. Not a problem with boots and proper gear, but if you ride around in flip-flops and jeans, you will ding your legs and feet (not that I ever do this). Also, I'm not totally confident that the pegs won't shift from their set positions. They use a cam system. You clamp them down with a set screw, but not too tight as the levers will be stiff. Time will tell if they come lose but if they do, I think I can rig some additional friction to lock them in place better.

Overall, a definite improvement. But worth $1012 and 5 hours of pain? I don't know. I won't know for sure until I really romp on this thing, but I'm optimistic.

ALSO... nice video CanyonMonster! Pretty rad indeed!!
 

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#16 · (Edited)
Also, I'm not totally confident that the pegs won't shift from their set positions. They use a cam system. You clamp them down with a set screw, but not too tight as the levers will be stiff. Time will tell if they come lose but if they do, I think I can rig some additional friction to lock them in place better.
Absolutely check this...mine slipped (both sides) and may have almost caused a low side.

Dude sweet vid!! That track surface looks... sketchy lol.

My only hesitation is "what will she do" when traction is being lost. In other words, how forgiving is the chassis?
There were definitely some sketchy parts that took some courage to build up to! The chassis is very forgiving. I am not sure if it was caused by cold tires, poor technique, or the pegs not being clamped tight enough, but I almost low sided during that track day. Probably a little of all three. It was early in the day and I am pretty sure I went as far as you can go without actually ending up on the ground. I was set up on SPORT mode and was a lap and a half into my session leaning into a left-hander when it happened. Needless to say, she popped right back up , rode out a little wobble and then carried on. I have every confidence that the bike will save my ass if I do something stupid...because it has.
 
#17 ·
Has anyone tried changing to GP shift? It looks like you might be able to flip the shifter. I have been riding a streetfighter s with GP shift pattern and I really don't want to go back. I'm looking at getting a 1200s and the peg setup has to go. It's crazy how much they are did anyone look at the CNC setup?
 
#19 ·
I thought I’d add my own experience that pretty-well matches that of Fry Koskenin and CanyonMonster.

I bought this kit for to address three main issues: the toe-in foot position which drives me nuts, my right heel riding on the Termi heatshield, and most importantly, allow me to get a decent knee-lock on the tank during cornering. I should add now that I’m physically pretty average height and weight and I always ride in full leathers. I ride in Sidi race boots and have a size 10 foot, so nothing out of the norm. I also have TechSpec tank pads fitted.

Ok, so first thing. Unless you are mechanically competent and have a well-stocked tool box and access to a power bleeder, you’re in for a frustrating time and will end up at a workshop to get the brakes bled. So be prepared.

The main issue I have with the kit is with the brake lever. If you set the offset footpegs at anywhere between the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions, you will *never* be able the reach the brake pedal; it simply does not have the range of upward adjustment to match the height of the footpegs. So there goes 50% of your adjustable footpeg range options. Also, if you set the pegs between the 3 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions, the gap between the footpeg (because it’s in a forward position) and the brake lever is very short, again making it very difficult to press the lever because it’s now under the rear of the ball of your foot and not towards the toe. Additionally, If you match the footpeg position on the LHS, there’s not enough room between the peg and the gear lever to allow a normal size boot to get under the beg and lift the lever. Neither the gear or brake lever is adjustable for length to compensate for the ‘offsetability’ of the footpegs. It looks to me like the brake lever is recycled from a sports bike where the pegs are more rearward and the angle of the rider’s leg and foot is far more angled than the upright position we have in the Monsters. Maybe it’s just me, and I do like a slightly higher, but not extraordinarily so, brake lever, but the range is just not there. Oddly, there’s no trouble getting the gear lever to the right hight – plenty of adjustability over on that side.

I too have noticed that if you tighten up the footpeg retaining screw to a normally ‘sufficient’ torque, the gear and brake levers bind significantly. There are no torque specifications in the assembly instructions. I hope that the pegs don’t come loose on a ride.

I’m also not convinced about the way the rear brake pushrod enters the master cylinder at an angle – for a start it’s mechanically inefficient and I wonder about the long-term effect of the piston being pushed at an angle. Someone didn’t think this through very well. You can see it quite clearly in the photos on Page 1 of this thread. Also, for reasons only known to Ducabike, they changed the brake pedal leverage ratio significantly from the stock ratio; my experience is you have to press the Ducabike lever much further than the stock lever to actuate the rear brakes. Couple this with a ‘low’ lever, even when it’s adjusted as high as it can go, and it’s all starting to look and feel a bit ordinary.

As ConyonMonster noted, the heel guards are sharp-edged and catch on the zip seam of my Sidi boots occasionally.

And speaking of the heel guards, the way they are located on the rearsets means they completely block access to the swingarm pivot. Why is this important? It means I can’t easily use my brilliant ABBA bike stand, which is one of the best and most useful bike stands around and it works by engaging the swingarm pivots. So now I have to dismantle the damn rearsets and *remove* the RHS one to use the ABBA stand.

Finally, the way the installation forces a 90-degree twist in the line from the master cylinder to the ABS unit is completely dodgy and worries me to the extent that I’m going to get a new custom line made.

After a lot of check rides and messing around, I’ve reach a point where I’m not going to pursue these issues with the local distributor or with Ducabike. I just couldn’t be bothered. My settings let me get a reasonably decent but not perfect tank lock and have absolutely fixed the toe-in riding position and the heel-on-the-exhaust-shield annoyance.

For reference, my footpegs are set at the 8 o’clock position, the rearsets are mounted on their fully-forward and highest position, and the brake lever and its toe-eccentric are all set as high as they can go.

Ideally, I’d like the footpegs more forward and higher, but unfortunately with the brake lever the way it is, that’s just not possible. I might move the rearsets back one hole to see if I can get enough clearance to use my ABBA stand on the LHS, but even doing that means unscrewing the heel guards every time.

FWIW, I did feed this back, with photos, to the local distributor, but their response was definitely not customer-centric. Everything from “you got air in your lines” (I don’t, and that does not affect the lever height) to “Ducabike have sold over 400 of these, so there can’t be anything wrong”.

So, all in all, the best I can say is 5/10 for this kit. It looks like a bit of rush job assembled from other parts in the parts bin, particularly the brake lever – it’s just not a kit where all the parts work in unison. The machining of the mounts and other parts is very good, but the term “full adjustable” could be considered a bit misleading. It’s a bit disappointing, really.

If I get bored, I’m going to physically inspect the M1200R footpeg setup and take one for a spin to assess the foot posiiton. I have in mind how to do the mods to retrofit these to the M1200/S but it will mean sacrificing the pillion pegs and working out how to support the silencers, but where there’s a will, there’s a way..

Happy riding, everyone.
 
#20 ·
GREAT review. All the things you mentioned would bug me. I'm very anal when it comes to aftermarket parts fitting correctly. So misaligned, odd-angles, inability to totally snug down parts to spec or not having a spec, loss of range off movement would give me fits...

So that product is off my list...

Thanks!


I thought I’d add my own experience that pretty-well matches that of Fry Koskenin and CanyonMonster.

Edited to save space...

Happy riding, everyone.
 
#21 ·
That is very disappointing considering the cost of this mod. Has anyone checked into the CNC rearsets? I reached out to a friend of mine that works at Bellissmoto and he said the the CNC looks like a better option. I may try the adjustable rizoma probably pegs for now. Awful expensive for not perfect.
 
#22 ·
Has anyone checked into the CNC rearsets?
Cough, gasp! The price!! I've just looked at the brochure and my only question would be "can the footpegs be positioned to let me get a good knee lock"?

It's hard to tell from the brochure how much the footpegs can move and where they end up when everything is fitted.

Everything else about the CNC option seems to tick all the boxes compared to the Ducabike set - length-adjustable levers, the brake lever is better placed, the alignment of the master cylinder is "original" with the brake line unmolested. But for the price you could buy a 1200R rear end (seat, brake light, brackets, etc) and use original Ducati parts to achieve most of the same outcome.

As you can tell, for me knee-lock on the tank is critical. I'll check out the stock 1200R riding position and see if it's improved, and report back to the group.
 
#28 ·
Here's a follow-up to my earlier post. Conclusion: I like the DucaBike sets, but can only rate them at 5 or 6/10.
They are grippy, sportier, give me more lean angle, reduce weight a tad, and look pretty good. But I would have rated them higher if:

* the install instructions were MUCH better,
* the brake lever was as adjustable as the shifter (I just barely got it to where I wanted it, and it is soft),
* the weight savings was more like 5-10 pounds instead of only 3.2,
* the cost was more like $500 than $1000,
* the peg vertical positioning was better than between +1/-2 inches from stock.

I have tested them out and they are a definite improvement, but F, I spent nearly 6 hours total installing and adjusting them. As for locking them down into place, I had to figure a solution: place a thin (~0.01") sheet of metal between the lever and peg and torque it down tight with Locktite red. This keeps the pegs in place and allows the levers to move freely. Before I figured this out, the stress of thinking about it was so unwelcome.

So... after all was said and done, I have good confidence in them and like them, but oh what a hassle.
 
#29 ·
I much prefer my Sato rearsets to the Ducabike that came on my 900SS. The Ducabike brake lever barely matches up to the master cylinder, has horrible feel to it and as you said lacks much adjustment. I replaced my rear pads and bled down the line and that's when I got up close to the assembly. Way too many parts and they don't line up well. My Sato sets I put on my Sport Classic came with decent instructions and were a cake walk to install.

To add to that, they were under $600 delivered.
 
#33 ·
I emailed Giuseppe and he promptly emailed me back instructions! They have been extremely easy to communicate with. Which is very important to me it shows a great concern for customer satisfaction. There is a bunch of install photos on there website if anyone wants to see them installed. Definitely not as flashy as the Ducabike or CNC but again much less expensive and to be honest look more adjustable too.
 
#36 ·
It's actually not a socket. Go to your local mega DIY store and take a 24mm wrench from the tools department. Then go to the fasteners section and look for threaded joiners. Use your borrowed 24mm wrench to find a joiner that has a 24mm OD across the flats, and you're done! That's the "tool" you use to undo the swingarm pivot endcaps. It'll cost about $2.50 plus the cost of a 24MM socket or wrench if you don't already have one. Or you can shell out about $50 for a 24mm Allen key socket.

I'd already figured out the threaded joiner option and had picked one up, and *exactly* that same "tool" shipped with the Ducabike kit. Lucky in a way because you actually need to apply torque to both sides of the swingarm pivot.
 
#38 ·
OK here we go I had to get creative on the shifter linkage because I wanted GP shifting pattern. Everything else fit great! Let me know if you have any questions. I will have to remove the passenger pegs to clear my large feet when riding aggressive however they come off very easily just two bolts per side.
 

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